The Township hosted a listening session of a recorded presentation by Community Matters, “Secrets of Successful Communities” with Ed McMahon on August 26, 2013, at the Township municipal building . Ed is with the Urban Land Institute and he will share success stories from other towns across the country on how they revitalized, rejuvenated and redeveloped their respective communities.

Over 20 attendees had a great discussion on how such ideas may be applicable to our endeavors with the Comprehensive Plan and pending ordinance updates.

If you care about downtown development, trails and green spaces, and the future of the areas along Middletown Road and Rt. 743, and in Palmdale, you really need to read this next chapter of the draft comprehensive plan and participate in the discussion at the Planning Commission workshop in the Municipal Building on Monday, May 13, at 6:00 pm. Of course, if you can’t make it to the meeting, please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

“Hershey is a rural town of 25,000 residents in the center of Pennsylvania, best known for being home to The Hershey Company and Hershey Park. Now, Hershey’s Derry Township is working to make sure new development benefits residents and visitors alike…” Read the full article.

The Derry Township Planning Commission will host a public workshop on April 15, at 6:00 pm, at the Municipal Building on 600 Clearwater Road (off HersheyPark Drive) on the subjects of “community character” and “sense of place” that define the style of our town and specify the characteristics that make it special and unique. Please come to the meeting and let us know what makes Hershey special to you.

Our Vision: The Board of Supervisors envisions Derry Township as a safe, healthy and active community valuing open space; vibrant cultural, social, and business offerings; and welcoming neighborhoods and gathering places. We envision a variety of housing opportunities with shops and services within walking distance and connected by a network of transportation options accessible to all. We envision a prosperous future driven by our dynamic health care, research, educational, entertainment, business, and manufacturing economies, while respecting our cultural heritage and scenic beauty.

The Dauphin County Planning Commission handed out its first Planning Excellence Awards, according to director Tim Reardon. The Derry Township Visioning activity that kicked off the community’s comprehensive planning effort won the award for “Community Capacity.” The commission pointed out that “the township updated its comprehensive plan and engaged the public with a website and a series of surveys. It also held a series of listening sessions to develop a vision statement, and refined that through further sessions.” It is important to note that the visioning activity was initiated and supported by a large group of community representatives who volunteered their time, and to the township community development staff led by Chuck Emerick. Read the PennLive article and learn more about our vision for the future.